24 hours in...Bilbao

Bilbao was a gem - easy to get to, and a real mix - the modernity of the Guggenheim, with the tradition of the pintxos - great foodie place to visit and definitely one to go back to, with a bit more preparation and planning…

Flights

  • Outbound: Saturday 1 December, British Airways, LHR-BIO, 08.20am.

  • Return: Sunday 2 December, British Airways, BIO-LGW, 6.20pm.

Airport transfers

  • Outbound & Return: Taxi from the airport to the hotel and explored from there. Taxi back to the airport on Sunday evening.

Hotel

  • Gran Hotel Domine (EUR222 per night). Chosen for its location - directly opposite the Guggenheim - and it didn’t disappoint. Excellent place to explore Bilbao from, and notable customer service - low key and spot on. Very nice bar for a cocktail in the evening and breakfast was served on the top floor with a fantastic view of the Guggenheim and beyond.

Activities

  • Guggenheim - the gem of Bilbao, the Frank Gehry building is incredible inside and out and definitely a must see. I was obsessed!

  • Funicular railway to the top of the hill provided a cracking view of the whole city, and also the airport on the other side of the valley.

  • Santiago Cathedral - good audio tour and a beautiful (hidden, naturally) cloister which was very peaceful.

  • We also explored various squares in the city, including pintxos bars - the Bilbao equivalent of tapas, available on every bar top in the city - finding different and new choices was half the fun (and accompanied by a glass of something of course).

24 hours in...Luxembourg

Luxembourg was a real surprise. Before visiting I’d only known it through work as a financial centre, and expected it to be full of office blocks and not much else. How wrong I was…deep valleys, trees everywhere, mixed architecture, surprising vistas - one of the best cities I have visited this year.

Flights

  • Outbound: Saturday 29 September, British Airways, LHR-LUX, 07.25am.

  • Return: Sunday 30 September, British Airways, LUX-LHR, 9.30pm.

Airport transfers

  • Outbound & Return: Laziness kicked in I’m afraid and I got a taxi from the airport to the main train station and explored from there. On the way back I got a bus (for a fraction of the cost - around 2 euro) and was dropped off at the front door of the airport.

Hotel

  • La Pipistrelle (EUR185 per night). This time at the bottom of a hill - nestled in a tree lined valley, hidden amongst bars and houses, in a townhouse. My room (suite) was on the top floor - up two normal flights, then a spiral staircase to the summit. The room was great - big bed, and a nice bath in the middle of the (open) bathroom. Breakfast was EUR16 extra and was a simple continental selection (calling it a buffet would be generous). From the hotel to the city centre was a 15 minute walk - because it was uphill, not because it was that far away!

Activities

  • Luxembourg is a city you can truly explore on foot, which I did once I got my bearings on the compulsory open top bus tour.

  • Le Chemin de la Corniche - you kind of stumble across Le Chemin, which I did on Sunday morning after heading out from my hotel along the valley floor, following the flow of the river, and then deciding to head up the hill. The view of the valley and bridges is worth the hike.

  • Mudam Modern Art Museum - this was a fantastic modern art museum, although only the ground floor was open. Great restaurant too - where the buffet picture came from (yes that was only for one!).

  • Cathédrale Notre Dame - just to get my fix of stained glass.

  • Most of my time was spent wandering, which led me to bump into things like a brass band playing film scores in Place d’Armes for example. Very relaxing!

24 hours in...Zurich

Apparently Zurich has the most drinking fountains of any city in the world at c1,200, and good job too - while London was experiencing a break in the heatwave, Switzerland was keeping the pressure on with 31 degrees of scorchio. Still, at least there was Lake Zurich to cool things down...

Flights

  • Outbound: Saturday 28 July, British Airways, LHR-ZRH, 6.40am. I snored quite loudly on the flight after a long week and 3.00am pickup (with apologies to anyone sat in the vicinity).
  • Return: Sunday 29 July, British Airways, ZRH-LHR, 8.40pm. 

Airport transfers

  • Outbound & Return: Train to Zürich Hauptbahnhof or 'Zurich HB' (CHF6.80 each way). 13 minutes from the airport to the town centre, and not even an express train - just spitting distance between the city and the airport.

Hotel

  • Hotel St Josef (CHF142.50 per night). Perched on another hill - must be trying to tell me something - the hotel was clean and functional but nothing to write home about, despite the rave reviews on tripadvisor. I was in the second wing which was more like a hostel, so that must have been the difference. Breakfast was included and was a simple continental buffet. From the hotel to the city centre was a short 5 minute walk. 

Activities

  • Swiss National Museum. Next door to the main railway station (Zurich HB), this was a great place to visit and has clearly had some serious money spent on it. Interactive exhibitions and excellent curation overall, I could easily spend more time here.
  • Fraumünster Church - incredible Marc Chagall stained glass windows and a much darker Augusto Giacometti (not Alberto) window too. Shame you aren't allowed to take photos!
  • Grossmünster Church - another Augusto Giacometti window but again, sadly no photos.
  • Boat trip on the lake - I did the short round trip which lasted about 90 minutes and had a number of stops. Was lovely to see the Swiss out sunbathing, swimming and paddle boarding in the sunshine.
  • Kunsthaus - modern art museum. Great selection including a comprehensive collection of Alberto Giacometti. Excellent restaurant for a light lunch too.
  • There was an Ironman being hosted on the Sunday, so was a bit harder to get around than normal, but sitting having a beer and watching them cycle and run (the swim must have happened earlier) was as close as I am ever going to come to partaking!

24 hours in...Cork

Croatia was the ‘new country’ for May, which involved a 5 day trip - four days in Hvar and one in Split - for a big stag do (19 of us). Needless to say what happens on a stag do, stays on a stag do, so I won’t be doing a full write up here! But what I can say is that the place was full of beautiful people (including the Made in Chelsea crew) and the scenery was incredible. One of my favourite parts was heading out on a sailing boat, stopping in a bay for the afternoon and swimming in the sea with a giant inflatable Unicorn. And that is the only bit I can share…

Slainte!

Normal service resumed with a #24hour trip to Cork, Ireland. Cork is a small city, so it didn't take too much walking to cover most of the 'main' parts. It seems to be getting some much needed re-development money, but to me it felt a bit like the old and the new weren’t yet sitting comfortably together. I want to go back in a few years’ time to see if that changes (and make sure I build in time for the Jameson’s tour and a trip out of town to the Blarney stone!). I did discover Beamish though – an Irish stout that tastes much nicer than Guinness (to me anyway). Sadly it is only available in Ireland...

Flights

  • Outbound: Saturday 30 June, Aer Lingus, LHR-ORK, 9.30am. 
  • Return: Sunday 1 July, Aer Lingus, ORK-LHR, 8.15pm. 

Airport transfers

  • Outbound & Return: Taxi (€18.00 each way). The lazy option, but a really quick and pain free transfer.

Hotel

  • The Montenotte Hotel.  Perched on a hill overlooking the city, the hotel had amazing views. Good size room, modern décor, excellent customer service and good breakfast featuring, of course, Irish sausages. From the hotel to the city centre was a short 15-20 minute walk downhill. The only downside (or should it be upside) was the walk back up the hill. Good exercise for me – although I only managed 16.4 miles over the whole weekend, which is less than I normally manage on these #24hour trips!

Activities